Ladies- and health professionals please bit of advice please

[startingnew]

ok so i have three questions to ask you...... i am quite embarrassed about them but i dont have anyone to ask outside of here and im not confortable asking my gp about them in person or via a note

1. if your on medications did that play around with your homones abit? in a good way or a bad way? did seem to affect your cycle at all? im on antipsychotics and anti depressents and im wondering what others experiences are...

2. so im 20 and im getting different stories as to when to start getting pap smears. ive been told many dfferent things such as the usualy every 2 years after activity, ive also heard you shoudnt get them until your 21 and then ive heard you should start to get them at 20 whether your active/ been active or never been activive at all? just wondering your experiences around that too please?

3. i cant seem to control acne esp around my cycle, its really annoying, i use clearasil twice a day plus they have intvented clearsil pads that you wipe on and leave on to dry but i still seem to have it, and as i often need massage therapy and chiropractic cares its really annoying and embarrassing. also how do you control your cramps?

[Sophie_M]

Hi everyone,

As some of you have noticed we have removed some posts from this thread over the weekend which contained graphic details of sexual assault. We realize that feeling safe to talk about sexual abuse is difficult and that our decision to remove these posts may be upsetting. 

However, we have to consider the safety of all our members. There are many members who may also have experienced sexual assault and reading detail of others experiences can trigger traumatic memories for others, particularly in a thread which is not flagged to users as being about sexual assault or contained within our PTSD & Trauma section. 

There are specialist agencies available to support people who have experienced sexual assault and we would encourage those reading to get in contact with your local agency if you haven’t already as they will be able to provide a safe space to share your experiences and offer any support you may need. 

We would encourage you to call our support service at any time on 1300 22 4636 for information and referrals to specialist agencies in your area.

As with our discussions around self-harm and suicide, we would ask that you use the appropriate section (PTSD & Trauma) to discuss these issues, and be mindful about the level of detail that you are sharing in your posts.  
 

[Sophie_M]

Hi startingnew, it sounds like you're in a bit of distress at the moment.  Please remember that we cannot provide immediate support here on the forums.  There is no guarantee that your posts will be read and responded to by our community within a set timeframe.  It's best to give our support service a call at times like these - 1300 22 46 36 - we have professional counsellors on that line around the clock to take your call. 

[Just Sara]

Thanks Sophie for the intervention;

I'll be mindful and direct this discussion to the appropriate section.

Sara

[Just Sara]

Hi SN;

I've just read your shout out for help. What you describe can be really distressing, I know because I've dealt with this as well.

The thing to remember, is that lumps in your breast are most likely swollen glands and nothing more. To determine this, you'll need to see your GP. I know this isn't ideal in your eyes due to your fear of Dr's, but it's something that requires attention none the less.

In my case my lumps (2) were quite big, and after an ultrasound were found to be benign; just fluid. The time spent at X-Ray was scary, but it was necessary to identify what they were.

Please go to your Community Health Clinic or your GP, whichever is less daunting. I'm glad you have confidence in me to bring this up, but I can't help you unless you help yourself in this instant.

Panic and worry won't serve any purpose except to prolong things ok. I'm waiting to hear you've been examined so find someone to go with you...maybe your sister?

Feeling confident it's going to be fine...

Sara xo

[startingnew]

Hi Guys thank you for all your responses

firslty we probably feel safer here as this thread is specifically for women. so its prob a comfort thing

Hi TB... if i can call you that? and Sara 🙂

thank you both for your knowledge and for caring.

yes im only 20 and ive never had to experience this before and its scaring the crap out of me.

its weird though, its not just a lump . its a dark blue- kinda like bruising and since its was hard to see i had to move it and when i did it spread!!! so now its dark blue and then red like a leakage! im hoping to god its not a vein leakage!

[startingnew]

And im leading up to
anything at least not till next month thats why it has me worried- I
get tenderness etc around that time but not like this colour or
fluidy!
Its halfway between
my underarm and nipple so slightly to the side.

As far as im aware
theres no history through any ages for breast cancer. And I dont have
anyone to talk to literally- I have no other friends or family that
support me off this forum.

Ive booked in to get
checked by a womens health worker tomorrow morning

[Sophie_M]

Hi startingnew, it's great you have a health check booked in for tomorrow morning, it's always best to get issues like this seen to by health professionals rather than seeking advice online.

As this thread is straying outside the topic areas we cover here on the forums, we're going to close this off.  Please feel free to continue the conversation and let us know how you go in your regular support thread.